Are we in the Shire? Anne and Juha’s astonishing smoke sauna made of natural stones
When the Turunen family bought a cottage, they got a smoke sauna as an added perk. The sauna is made of natural stones, and the sauna-goers get to bathe partly underground. This was the project of an imaginative man unafraid of hard work.
There it stands in the middle of Anne and Juha Turunen’s summer haven—and it effortlessly stands out among all the other buildings on the property. The massive smoke sauna, made of natural stones and partially underground, is so unusual that it brings to mind Tolkien’s fantasy world rather than a Finnish cottage sauna.
The walls of the asymmetrically shaped building are overgrown with grass, and the wagon wheels on the roof look as though their journey has ended abruptly. Stone steps lead into the cave-like sauna, blackened by smoke.
It’s so dark inside that your eyes need a moment to adjust before you can see the massive stone stove, dark benches, and blackened walls. Pieces of glass placed on top of the skylight let the autumn sunlight shine in with all the colors of the rainbow.
“When we first saw the sauna, we walked around it multiple times, just marveling at the strange structure.”Anne
This unusual sauna was one of the main reasons the Turunen family chose to buy this particular summer retreat.
“When we first saw the sauna, we walked around it multiple times, just marveling at the strange structure,” Anne recalls.
Anne and Juha have been enjoying their cottage on the shore of Riihijärvi lake in the Finnish countryside for a few years. At first, they rented the place from the now late Osmo Härkönen and his family. Härkönen, who built the sauna, the log cabin, the shed, and the garage, fell ill and could no longer maintain his property.
“When Osmo’s daughter Mervi Äikiä asked if we wanted to buy the place, we headed straight to the bank to see about a loan. This has been our cottage since 2018,” Anne says.
The couple spends time at the cottage either alone or with their children Taru, Suvi, Aapo and Helmi. Taru and Suvi are both in their 20s, while Aapo is already 17.
“They already have other interests than spending time at the cottage with their parents!”
The Turunen family always fire up the smoke sauna whenever they arrive at Riihijärvi lake. The stone walls release and retain heat, so the sauna warms up quickly with just a few loads of firewood in hot summer weather. On cooler days, however, those cold stone walls take longer to absorb the stove’s warmth.
“The sauna floor is below the waterline, which is why there may be a few centimeters of water inside in spring, and we have to pump it out. But that makes for incredibly humid steam,” Juha says happily.
The first group to bathe experiences a more intense heat, and those who follow can enjoy gentler warmth.
“If you’re the first on the benches, it feels like your contact lenses are on fire,” Anne laughs.
They maintain the sauna by occasionally replacing the stove stones and, naturally, cleaning. Juha has covered some of the cracks in the wall with mortar. Smoke saunas sometimes tend to burn down during heating, but this stone sauna is safe.
“It’s virtually fireproof, unlike log-built saunas,” Juha notes.
Osmo Härkönen's daughter Mervi describes her late father as an inventor who never run out of ideas, constantly coming up with new building projects. Härkönen’s first profession was carpenter, so working with his hands came naturally to him. In his spare time, he built three summer cottages and undertook several cottage and apartment renovations.
Mervi remembers the summers of her childhood, when her father built the summer retreat and this unusual sauna. He started by building the log cabin, the shed, and the garage, then moved on to the massive project of constructing the stone sauna.
“Dad first dug a large pit with a shovel, then used a winch to lower big natural stones on the bottom. Then he began to build the walls.”Anne
“He first dug a large pit in the clay soil with a shovel, then used a winch to lower big natural stones to the bottom for the sauna’s foundation. Next, he layered cement and natural stones around the pit, building it one layer at a time.
He got the stones from a nearby gravel pit that sold sand, and he meticulously washed each stone before using it. He would place two layers of stones and cement at a time, then let them dry completely before adding the next layer.
“I remember telling him this was a crazy idea, but my father was a visionary who couldn't stay idle.”
Härkönen only worked on the stone walls during summer. By the time they were finally able to sit on the sauna benches, Mervi was still a young girl. Now 46 years old, she still remembers the sauna experience vividly.
“I never cared for the sauna much because the smoke irritated my eyes. The sauna probably wasn't even completely finished back then.”
Nevertheless, the stone sauna became a hit and was heated every weekend for the family or for cottage guests. Before long, they began to use their indoor sauna far less frequently.
“Every Midsummer’s Eve, we kept the smoke sauna heated from morning to evening, welcoming all our Midsummer guests.”
Mervi's father continued the project later by adding a dressing room and a fireplace lounge, but his journey ended unexpectedly when he fell ill and passed away. In total, he worked on the sauna for ten years.
Mervi thinks the summer retreat her father built truly found the right owners in the Turunen family.
“It’s great that they’re handy, know how to build, and can continue my father’s work.”
And indeed, the Turunen family continues that work. In the summer of 2022, they built new aspen benches for the sauna and replaced the cottage roof.
“Otherwise we’ve just been slowly getting used to the cottage life these past few summers,” Anne says.
When their children have their autumn break from school, the Turunens close the cottage doors for the winter, and only visit Riihijärvi to clear snow from the roofs.
“But as soon as the spring sun starts warming everything up, we’re practically halfway out the door and on our way to the cottage.”
